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Friday, 31 December 2010

2010 - Christmas Round Up and Goals

I was supposed to blog about Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and just run out of time. I haven't really had much time to write, with both kids and hubby at home, I can't sneak off like I want to into my study.

The boys' faces were perfect pictures on Christmas Day opening their stockings. Kieran especially as he's really coming into an age where he understands it.

We have my dad over for Christmas Day and it's always a relaxing day. We put on one of the kids DVD's they got from Santa for some quiet time, and caught a little of The One Ronnie, but otherwise we don't really put the TV on. Who wants to watch Eastenders and Corry claptrap? They are the most depressing story lines ever and how many wives can Ian Beale have? Or kids for that matter? I know it's for some, but it certainly isn't for me. Since I have found writing, I don't find time for TV - not much that is great to watch. (We have recorded Doctor Who though!)

Boxing Day was spent with hubby's family. They all came over early and we had a lovely day with them - and the boys got MORE presents! And we still had snow on the ground by this point. But Monday the thaw came and our snow is completely gone now.

My Christmas cake is a success! Still half of it left though - it's a very big cake!

Tuesday we went to my mum's as the snow had thawed, and yes, more presents! Before the big event, Mum had provided me with a crate of 'stocking' presents, which I put under the tree from Santa - to be 'tree' presents. I'm still handing them out now. Christmas is certainly not over in this household.

Yesterday we went to the panto in town to see Cinderella. We always go to Weston, rather than Bristol, because we still get a great production and I believe if we don't support locally, we'll lose our theatre. This year my dad came with us as he wasn't required to look after Kieran, as he came for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it. He was mesmerised by the whole thing. Ben was really getting involved and it was another fun panto. "Oh, yes it was!"

I love going to the panto at Christmas, it brings fond childhood memories back as my dad always used to take us. It would round off Christmas just nicely, and I want my kids to have those special memories too.

So today is the last day of 2010. What will 2011 bring? I've been writing for four years now, and I've been studying the Writer's Bureau Comprehensive Writing Course over a year, as I think I signed up in the summer/autumn of 2009. I've put a page on my blog to show my writing sucesses. At the moment, there are only three and these were unpaid - I did win a Leapster 2 for my Tip Of The Month. Hoping to add more to this list in 2011.

I'm going to try and set myself some realistic goals. I can't say I want to publish a novel - I have no control over that, however I do have control over submitting my first novel to publishers in 2011. I want to try and sell or enter more short story competitions and submit more articles to magazines. So my general goal is to submit more work!

Although I would like to attempt to read 40 books again this year, I may have to split my reading time between books and magazines (as suggested by my tutor), to help with the 'submitting more articles' goal. So I will set myself the 40 target but not beat myself up if I don't get there. The target really helped me to pick up books and read them. In another blog, I'll list the books I've read this year.

Happy New Year to everyone! May life be happy, though there maybe waves to ride - we know there will be ups and downs, and let's hope 2011 is a year for making some dreams come true.

Bio

Mum to two boys by day, a romance writer by night. I write contemporary romance, published by HarperImpulse.

When I'm not writing, I enjoy baking cakes and like to put a good home
cooked meal on the table every evening (occasionally I cheat - I am
human!) whether the kids like it or not. I believe in everything in moderation. And I run - it helps
breed the (plot) bunnies.